Ed Sheeran bags 5 honours at Billboard Music Awards
Janet Jackson, becomes the first African American female artiste to get Icon Award
Los Angeles: Ed Sheeran emerged as the big winner as the singersongwriter bagged five top honours, including the Top Artist recognition, at this year’s Billboard Music Awards.
The singer, who was nominated in 15 categories this year, also took home trophies in top male artist, top hot 100 artist, top song sales artist and top radio songs artist categories.
Besides Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars also were competing in 15 segments, Billboard reported. Lamar came a close second by scoring four wins as the top streaming songs artist, top rap artist, top rap male artist, top streaming song ( Audio) for
Humble and Mars followed in the third position by winning the awards in top R& B artist, top R& B male artist and top R& B tour categories.
The major award wins may have been dominated by male artistes this year, but it was a moment in time when Janet Jackson was announced as the BBMA Icon Award - the first African American female artiste to receive the recognition. She performed a rendition of her ‘ 80s hit
Nasty, Throb and danced to another chartbuster If before accepting the honour from Mars.
The 52- year- old singer rooted for the # MeToo campaign and declared her support for the people “outraged by discrimination who support us in heart and mind”. “I believe that for all of our challenges, we live at a glorious moment for history. It’s a moment when at long last, women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated or abused.